From the mountains to the sea, we really do have it all here in North Carolina, including the two most visited National Parks -- a park and a unit -- in America! (Some states aren't fortunate enough to have even one National Park.) When it comes to scenic and spectacular outdoor recreation, the Tar Heel State is a popular place for natives and tourists alike. If you're looking for an amazing national park to visit in North Carolina, you can't go wrong with either the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

According to official stats tallied by the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park combined saw a monumental 38.5 million visitors in 2018.

Of those stats, the Blue Ridge Parkway saw 16.6 million visitors who spent a whopping 92.4 million hours exploring the scenic drive and the sights along the way. A few of the highlights are below...

Cumberland Knob at milepost 217.5 is the northernmost North Carolina site to explore, and sits just inside the border of the Tar Heel State.

An impressive 26 tunnels are found along the Blue Ridge Parkway; the majority of them are in North Carolina. Pictured here, the Twin Tunnels are found at milepost 344.5 and 344.7.

Scenic views and swoon-worthy overlooks abound in the North Carolina mileage of the BRP. Nearly 120 overlooks in NC afford magnificent views. This is the view from the parking area at the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center at milepost 451.2.

At the same time, in 2018, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park received 21.9 million visitors who spent a total of 88.9 million hours in the park. Keep reading for some highlights of the sights found in the North Carolina portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A stop at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee affords a unique opportunity to see a herd of elk grazing (or not) in the field of the Farm Museum.

Mingus Mill, located near Cherokee, was built in 1886 and still has an operating sluice and some machinery. The setting couldn't be any more picturesque or reminiscent of a bygone era in the Smoky Mountains.

The trail to Juney Whank Falls is a short Smoky Mountains hike to a waterfall with its own fairytale footbridge.

When it comes to a fantastic national park to visit in North Carolina, both the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park take the cake. How fortunate are we to have the two most popular National Park locations right here at home? When was the last time you reconnected with either one? Let's make this the year to spend more time exploring both!

Keep reading here to explore 19 of the Blue Ridge Parkway tunnels located in North Carolina!